Santa Fe Fortune & How to Marry a Matador

crying?” he asked with a worried frown.
    “Because you really are a marvelous man.” Before she knew what she was doing, Jess had wrapped her arms around his neck and was up on her tiptoes, kissing him.
    He pulled her close and returned her fire with one glorious bout of passion after the next. Jess lost track of time and culture and continent. All she knew was that she was with her hunky matador man who brought her gifts of the heart. How could he be so solid yet giving at once?
    “Teatime!” Tía Margarita called, loudly tinkling a bell.
    Fernando released Jessica with a hearty laugh.
    “Terribly sorry, Tía Margarita,” he said, obviously not meaning it.
    Tía Margarita toddled toward the table, waving her lace hanky in the air.
    “Young people!” she said to Rudolfo, who was making his way around the table, lapping at all the plates.

    Jess slipped the leather bookmark from its bag and placed it on the nightstand beside the old Bible. It had been half her lifetime since she’d cracked the good book. Faith really hadn’t gotten her anywhere, so she’d given it up as years went by. Though there had been a time when she’d found some point in it. As a hopeful teen, she’d spent hours poring over the same passage in Corinthians, wistfully dreaming up what true love might mean. She wondered if she could still find it. It couldn’t be that difficult. Sort of like riding a bicycle, right?
    The door creaked open, and Fernando stuck his head in.
    “Oh, sorry!” he said. “I thought you were downstairs.”
    After their return from town, Ana María had spent quite a bit of time introducing her new daughter-in-law to the contents of her hope chest. Fernando had begged off the moment the baby fashion show had started. He likely felt guilty he’d let things go so far but didn’t have the guts at that moment to rain on his mom’s parade. Of course Jess could understand that. Ana María had appeared so expressive and glowing, commenting on the joys of impending grandchildren, that Jess hadn’t had the heart to break the bad news either.
    “Wait, are you reading the Bible?”
    Jess stared down at the tome in her hand, fretfully embarrassed. “Not really,” she said, snapping it shut. “Just thinking of where to put the bookmark.”
    “Genesis?” he retorted with one raised eyebrow.
    “The beginning, yes!” she said, nervously fumbling through brittle pages. Locating Genesis shouldn’t be that difficult. On the first day… Thank God! She slid the bookmark inside, then glanced heavenward, fearful she’d committed some sort of mental blasphemy.
    “I was just coming for my things,” Fernando said. “All right if I grab a pillow?”
    “What?” Jess asked weakly, almost wishing she hadn’t started this God thing. Now she worried that the heavenly angels were watching them. Maybe had been watching them all along. She felt instantly consumed by heat, thinking the Catholicism was getting to her.
    “It’s nearly eleven. I thought I’d take what I needed for bed.”
    What about what she needed for bed? That clearly wasn’t Fernando scooping up his things and waltzing out of here. Not after today, not after that kiss. Not after our lovemaking this morning either, she thought, quickly covering the Bible with the monastery bag.
    “Fernando,” she said as coolly as she could manage. “Your mother just spent two hours expounding on the joys of grandparenthood. Don’t you think it would seem odd for you to spend the night downstairs?”
    He brought his hand to his chin and, in all seriousness, considered this. “You’re right,” he said, leveling a gaze at her. “We pulled that last night. Doesn’t really seem right to try it again.”
    She shook her head in accord. “Not so soon, anyway.”
    “Then you won’t mind if I stay here?”
    “We’re still married for now,” she said, giving a little laugh.
    Fernando suspiciously eyed the bag-covered Bible. “In the eyes of the church.”
    Jess mustered her best stern expression. “We can’t go disappointing your mom.”
    “She’s bound to be heartbroken soon enough,” he agreed.
    “So, we’re still going to Seville tomorrow?” she asked a little sadly.
    “That is what you want?”
    His gaze locked on hers and was so penetratingly hot she felt as if he’d stripped all her clothes off. That was what she wanted, wasn’t it? To unmarry this guy?
    Fernando stepped into the room and locked the door behind him.
    “Yes,” she said